Canon EF-S 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 IS Lens For 50D 450D 40D
Posted at: March 31, 2009, 7:46 pm
The EF-S 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 IS is Canon latest zoom lens for APS-C format DSLRs, introduced as a companion to the EOS 50D. Its announcement in August this year came as no great surprise, as wide focal length range superzooms are clearly popular amongst photographers seeking an all-in-one lens for travel and everyday shooting. The most obvious example of this is the runaway success of Nikon AF-S 18-200mm F3.5-5.6G VR, and a Canon equivalent has almost certainly been the most-requested lens on our forums.
With its 11x zoom range, the 18-200mm becomes Canon most ambitious consumer-level zoom to date; the company has previously shied away from producing relatively inexpensive superzooms, with its only previous foray into this sector being the 28-200mm F3.5-5.6 (USM) for 35mm SLRs from late 2000. And while it is this older lens that the 18-200mm most strongly resembles, Canon has managed to squeeze plenty more into the design in the intervening eight years. The zoom ratio has been stretched to a 35mm-equivalent range of 29-320mm, and the new lens incorporates Canon latest compact image stabilization unit (as seen on the EF-S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS and the EF-S 55-250mm F4.5-5.6 IS), which offers automatic panning detection and (according to the company) four stops of stabilization. All this has been achieved using a suitably complex optical design of 16 elements in 12 groups, including two UD glass elements and two aspherical elements which are designed to minimize chromatic aberration and ensure crisp corner-to-corner detail across the zoom range. Rounding off the specification is a minimum focus distance of 45cm/1.5ft at all focal lengths.
One design decision may however cause a degree of dismay; the lens uses a relatively unsophisticated micro motor system for autofocus, as opposed to the ring-type USM design more commonly seen on mid-range lenses such as the EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM. Consequently, potential buyers may struggle to find any obvious advantage over Tamron recently announced 18-270mm F3.5-6.3Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) Macro, which sports a longer zoom range and Tamron own optical stabilization system. Aside from this, Canon have produced a lens which is clearly designed to counter the undeniable buyer appeal of Nikon popular 18-200mm VR head-on; so how does it match up to the challenge?
Zeiss to make 18mm F3.5 for Canon
Posted at: March 31, 2009, 7:43 pm
Carl Zeiss has said it will produce a Canon-mount version of its 18mm F3.5 lens. The Distagon T* 3.5/18 super-wide angle lens has previously only been available in the ZF and ZK mounts for Nikon and Pentax cameras, respectively. A Canon-mount version of the lens is being shown at the Photo Imaging Expo 2009 show in Tokyo and will be available towards the end of the year, the company said.
Olympus launches E-450 compact DSLR
Posted at: March 31, 2009, 7:39 pm
Olympus has announced the E-450, an upgraded version of the E-420 compact DSLR. The new E-450 is essentially identical to the E-420 apart from the addition of 3 Art Filters, a new processor and an improved LCD display. Priced at £450 for the standard lens kit, it will start shipping from May 2009.
It is perhaps a testament to how well specified the E-420 is that Olympus has clearly struggled for ways to improve it. For fear of treading on the toes of the recently announced E-620 (which itself stands uncomfortably close to the more expensive E-30), Olympus has engineered a model with the fewest changes over the existing version we have ever seen. And, despite the company insistence that it will continue to offer four entry-level cameras, we do not believe the E-450 is distinct enough from the E-420 that they two can sensibly co-exist.
So, to sum up, the differences between the two models extend to:
Three Art Filters (Pop Art, Soft Focus and Pin Hole)
TruePic III+ processor
Increased continuous shooting buffer (8 RAW files, rather than E-420 s 6)
Improved screen (The luminance has been improved on the existing HyperCrystal II panel)
Carl Zeiss has said it will produce a Canon-mount version of its 18mm F3.5 lens. The Distagon T* 3.5/18 super-wide angle lens has previously only been available in the ZF and ZK mounts for Nikon and Pentax cameras, respectively. A Canon-mount version of the lens is being shown at the Photo Imaging Expo 2009 show in Tokyo and will be available towards the end of the year, the company said.
Olympus has announced the E-450, an upgraded version of the E-420 compact DSLR. The new E-450 is essentially identical to the E-420 apart from the addition of 3 Art Filters, a new processor and an improved LCD display. Priced at £450 for the standard lens kit, it will start shipping from May 2009.
